Convergence of Kazakhstan's "Nurly Zhol" Program and China's "Belt and Road" Initiative

Abstract

In 2013, some countries announced alternative ways of global development and started new integration projects. Among these initiatives, the most significant is the “Belt and Road” Initiative, announced by Xi Jinping, the Chairman of the Communist Party of the People’s Republic of China. This initiative will fundamentally influence the world economy and interstate cooperation. With more than 100 countries having joined it and an array of integration projects having been put into action, the Chinese project is considered the most large-scale initiative since its inception. Furthermore, the announcement of the Chinese initiative has prompted other countries to develop projects that align with their national interests. Among these countries is the Republic of Kazakhstan, which announced the implementation of a new "Nurly Zhol" economic development policy in 2014. Due to strong economic ties between China and Kazakhstan, the two countries quickly discussed the possibility of cooperating to implement their respective development strategies. Thus, this study aims to examine Kazakh-Chinese interactions by exploring ways to integrate the "Nurly Zhol" program and the "Belt and Road" initiative.

Kazakistan'ın "Nurly Zhol" Programı ile Çin'in "Kuşak ve Yol" Girişimlerinin Birleşmesi

Özet

2013 yılında bazı ülkeler alternatif küresel kalkınma yolları açıkladı ve yeni entegrasyon projeleri başlattı. Bu girişimler arasında en önemlisi, Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti Komünist Partisi Genel Başkanı Xi Jinping tarafından açıklanan “Kuşak ve Yol” Girişimi'dir. Bu girişim, dünya ekonomisini ve devletlerarası işbirliğini temelinden etkileyecektir. 100'den fazla ülkenin katıldığı ve bir dizi entegrasyon projesinin hayata geçirildiği Çin projesi, başlangıcından bu yana en büyük ölçekli girişim olarak kabul edilmektedir. Ayrıca, Çin'in bu girişiminin duyurulması, diğer ülkeleri de ulusal çıkarlarına uygun projeler geliştirmeye teşvik etmiştir. Bu ülkeler arasında, 2014 yılında yeni bir “Nurly Zhol” ekonomik kalkınma politikasının uygulanacağını duyuran Kazakistan Cumhuriyeti de bulunmaktadır. Çin ve Kazakistan arasındaki güçlü ekonomik bağlar nedeniyle, iki ülke kendi kalkınma stratejilerini uygulamak için işbirliği yapma olasılığını hızla tartışmıştır. Bu nedenle, bu çalışma “Nurly Zhol” programı ile “Kuşak ve Yol” girişiminin entegre edilme yollarını araştırarak Kazakistan-Çin etkileşimlerini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Ph.D. candidate Ainur Nurgali (Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye)
0000-0002-7505-5669  a.nurgali993@gmail.com

Submitted on: 2025-08-01 Accepted on: 2025-11-05

Year:2026 - Volume:5 Issue:1 Pages: 21-27

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36880/J05.1.0154

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APA style citation: Nurgali, A. (2026). Convergence of Kazakhstan's "Nurly Zhol" Program and China's "Belt and Road" Initiative. Journal of Eurasian Economies, 5(1), 21-27.

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